Social Media Marketing for Restaurants: 21 Tips
Our group talked about expanding Mzansi restaurant's social media platform and utilizing different apps for raising awareness of the restaurant and marketing. I found this link that explains how a restaurant can utilize Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The article also shows different restaurants' profiles and this makes it simple to apply these tips to another restaurant. While I'm not technologically involved to this degree, social media is a use it or lose it tool for businesses and those who don't utilize social media get left behind as the markets continue to change and technology advances.
This article provides many useful tips on how a restaurant can create a presence on these different apps to expand their business. The article emphasizes how food can easily be marketed through visuals. The cover image of a business's Facebook page is huge space for free advertising and different uploaded photos of food dishes can provide a visual menu for potential customers. She mentions how the location can be tagged when posting and these "geotags" can allows businesses to show ads to Facebookers in the areas surrounding the restaurant. Videos are also easily shared on Facebook and I thought this would be great for Mzansi because of the entertainment aspect at their restaurant and the videos they already have on their website.
Since food is so visual, Instagram is basically tailored for restaurants. Through photos of the different food items, Mzansi's band, or pictures of the owners or employees, Mzansi could tell their story. Using a geographic specific hashtag like #Capetown, #Langa, #HarlemStreet, Mzansi could be found by people in the area looking for food. People can also stay in contact with the restaurant and comment about their experiences or how much they loved a dish, which only further promotes the restaurant. The article also mentions Twitter, while I'm not very familiar with the Twitter world, it is helpful for businesses and also in creating a following. Tweets can be planned and posted right before lunch or dinner, or before a big event in the area. Twitter is also useful for offering group deals or promotions or coupons, which is another great way to bring in new guests.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Week 10: Service Learning - Partnering with Mzansi Restaurant
Last week my colleagues and I chose which service learning project we wanted to work on out of the choices Dr. Gilbert has organized in Cape Town. I chose the Mzansi Restaurant project, because I have been working in restaurants since I was sixteen and have a thorough understanding of the restaurant business. I found a variety of sources specifically about Mzansi because I wanted to improve my understanding of the restaurant itself. I found a youtube video where the co-owner Ace Siyaka is interviewed. He provides a lot of useful information about Mzansi's history, his family, the restaurant's band, and ways they are already marketing the restaurant. I also found a virtual tour of the restaurant. This website gives a 360 degree view of the restaurant, it could be outdated or different now, but instead of us imagining what this restaurant looks like for the next six weeks, we can see direct images. In the youtube video, Ace gives the website for Mzansi, so I also checked out their website. On the home page is a video that gives an idea of the experience customers get at Mzansi and shows how involved the owners are in their restaurant. On the gallery page of their website, there is another video (the video in the center) that expands further on the experience they offer at Mzansi restaurant.
The Mzansi resturant is in the Langa township and is very close to the Cape Town airport. They tend to market to tourists rather than locals and can accommodate very large parties. I did see that they only take guests by reservations and don't prefer walk-in customers. I'm curious to see if allowing walk-ins, and possibly catering to locals from Langa, would expand their business. Overall, the owners seem very involved in their restaurant's success, which is really refreshing because in most of the restaurants I have worked at here in Texas the owners are barely around. The owners and the experience they provide appears to be very genuine and I am so excited we have this opportunity to partner with them.
Like Mzansi Restaurant on Facebook!
Interview with Mzansi's co-owner Ace:
https://YouTube/watch?v=Wn6t6YwcGxM
Mzansi Restaurant's Website:
http://www.mzansi45.co.za/index.html
Virtual tour of Mzansi Restaurant:
http://www.virtualsouthafrica.travel/capetown/tours/mzansi/index.htm
The Mzansi resturant is in the Langa township and is very close to the Cape Town airport. They tend to market to tourists rather than locals and can accommodate very large parties. I did see that they only take guests by reservations and don't prefer walk-in customers. I'm curious to see if allowing walk-ins, and possibly catering to locals from Langa, would expand their business. Overall, the owners seem very involved in their restaurant's success, which is really refreshing because in most of the restaurants I have worked at here in Texas the owners are barely around. The owners and the experience they provide appears to be very genuine and I am so excited we have this opportunity to partner with them.
Like Mzansi Restaurant on Facebook!
Interview with Mzansi's co-owner Ace:
https://YouTube/watch?v=Wn6t6YwcGxM
Mzansi Restaurant's Website:
http://www.mzansi45.co.za/index.html
Virtual tour of Mzansi Restaurant:
http://www.virtualsouthafrica.travel/capetown/tours/mzansi/index.htm
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Blog 9: The Official Top 10 Resources for Understanding the South African Context
Last week I posted my personal top 10 list. After all my colleagues and myself contributed our ideas for the top 10 list, our teacher's assistant (TA) complied the official list based on how frequently each source was mentioned. Some of these links I included in my personal list, but most of them are new sources. Here is the official list!
1) Power and Privilege Definitions This document is an amazing source that clearly defines terms from privilege and gender to institutional power and agents or targets of oppression. These objective definitions provide a strong background for understanding injustices throughout history.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amsa.org%2FAMSA%2FLibraries%2FCommittee_Docs%2FPower_Privilege_Definitions.sflb.ashx&ei=Gs34VK_WK5L4yQTElIDgDg&usg=AFQjCNF0hKvK_MzO4IebtQwaX3Oe6f1Yzw&sig2=ppEWSi2IGwDBhP-CrmIScw
2) Apartheid Timeline PBS provides a chronological graphic of significant historical events and apartheid legislation in South Africa. I found this link helpful because it shows both sides of the movement by dividing the timeline between events that strengthened or weakened apartheid.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/endgame/timeline.html#
3) Not White Enough, Not Black Enough This article gives a Coloured South African's point of view. It explains what Coloured means, the complexity of race in South Africa, and the racial hierarchy created by apartheid that is still present today. The author focuses on the victims of apartheid and how different racial groups are not receiving equal treatment or access to opportunities. While South African Blacks are supported by new economic policies, Coloureds are not receiving the same opportunities.
http://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/in-south-africa-after-apartheid-colored-community-is-the-big-loser/?_r=1
4) South Africa Progressive on LGBT Rights but Gays Still Battle for Social Reform This link gives the reader an understanding of the LGBT community in South Africa. Although South Africa was one of the first countries to pass anti-discrimination legislation on the basis of sexual orientation, the nation lacks a progressive attitude toward LGBT rights. Most LGBT individuals in South Africa are not free to be themselves and experience a variety of hate crimes, including corrective rape. The LGBT community desires proper legislation against hate crimes, education on LGBT issues, and a more open mind from their fellow citizens.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/south-africa-progressive-lgbt-rights-gays-still-battle-social-reform-1471213
5) Cape Town: Gangs, Race and Poverty 20 years after Apartheid
This 45-minute video provides incredible testimonies of those living in Cape Town's informal settlements, as well as the police and community activists involved in these slums. This is my favorite resource because it ditches the romanticized ideas of South Africa and the Cape and instead covers the real life dangers, challenges, experiences, and daily life conditions of those uprooted because of apartheid. The video focuses on how Coloureds' and Blacks' communities have changed and how they are coping and what they are doing to change things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoMl_G6rL9k
6) Realizing Women's Rights in South Africa: Dr. Tunney explains the four main factors that keep South African women marginalized. These factors are "the unwillingness of men to adapt to changing gender roles, the perceived incompatibility between cultural preservation and human rights, poor urban planning coupled with the economic vulnerability of women, and the police and courts’ inadequate implementation of legislation." This article provided fantastic insight into the problems women, and specifically black women, face in reaching equality post-apartheid.
http://www.fletcherforum.org/2013/06/10/tunney/
7) Here's how South African students talk about race and gender This article gives the reader different perspectives about how South Africans, at our age, view current race and gender relations in South Africa. What I learned most from this article was how much race and gender are both emphasized in South Africa. Obviously race is in the microscope only twenty years out of apartheid, but the idea of women, colored or not, also being considered a marginalized group in South Africa adds another layer of complexity to the reality of South Africa.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-01-16/heres-how-south-african-students-talk-about-race-and-gender
8) ‘Winnie’ fails to capture the essence of Mrs. Mandela Here the other side of Winnie Mandela, the wife of Nelson Mandela, is explained. In both "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" and "Winnie" Winnie is given a shallow, militarized role. I enjoyed this article because it offers biographical information about Winnie Mandela, while also accurately capturing the complexity of her role in the anti-apartheid movement.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/09/05/winnie-mandela/2711759/
9) Bucket list to visiting South Africa Larry Olmsted praises South Africa as a top travel destination and outlines the "can't miss" sights within the country. These experiences include a safari, Cape Town, Table Mountain, Cape Peninsula (penguins!), and the Cape of Good Hope - located at "the end of the Earth." He mentions South Africa's wine country... which I can't deny that I'm interested in seeing. He provides a lengthy list of outdoor activities, wildlife (Great White Sharks!), and apartheid related museums. I feel really lucky and excited, knowing that I will be in Cape Town in a few weeks! (Thankful!)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2013/03/18/ultimate-bucket-list-trip-south-africa/
10) Culture in South Africa This Wikipedia article outlines the culture in South Africa and provides clarity to many things that I have not been able to grasp. Diversity is the reoccurring theme I have noticed so far in studying South Africa. There is so much going on! The diversity of people, languages, ancestries, lifestyles, and cultures has all turned into a melting pot in my mind. Therefore, this Wikipedia entry clearly outlines South African arts, music, sports, education, gender roles, and the LGBT community. On top of all the academic sources, this article pieces everything together for me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_South_Africa
1) Power and Privilege Definitions This document is an amazing source that clearly defines terms from privilege and gender to institutional power and agents or targets of oppression. These objective definitions provide a strong background for understanding injustices throughout history.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amsa.org%2FAMSA%2FLibraries%2FCommittee_Docs%2FPower_Privilege_Definitions.sflb.ashx&ei=Gs34VK_WK5L4yQTElIDgDg&usg=AFQjCNF0hKvK_MzO4IebtQwaX3Oe6f1Yzw&sig2=ppEWSi2IGwDBhP-CrmIScw
2) Apartheid Timeline PBS provides a chronological graphic of significant historical events and apartheid legislation in South Africa. I found this link helpful because it shows both sides of the movement by dividing the timeline between events that strengthened or weakened apartheid.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/endgame/timeline.html#
3) Not White Enough, Not Black Enough This article gives a Coloured South African's point of view. It explains what Coloured means, the complexity of race in South Africa, and the racial hierarchy created by apartheid that is still present today. The author focuses on the victims of apartheid and how different racial groups are not receiving equal treatment or access to opportunities. While South African Blacks are supported by new economic policies, Coloureds are not receiving the same opportunities.
http://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/in-south-africa-after-apartheid-colored-community-is-the-big-loser/?_r=1
4) South Africa Progressive on LGBT Rights but Gays Still Battle for Social Reform This link gives the reader an understanding of the LGBT community in South Africa. Although South Africa was one of the first countries to pass anti-discrimination legislation on the basis of sexual orientation, the nation lacks a progressive attitude toward LGBT rights. Most LGBT individuals in South Africa are not free to be themselves and experience a variety of hate crimes, including corrective rape. The LGBT community desires proper legislation against hate crimes, education on LGBT issues, and a more open mind from their fellow citizens.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/south-africa-progressive-lgbt-rights-gays-still-battle-social-reform-1471213
5) Cape Town: Gangs, Race and Poverty 20 years after Apartheid
This 45-minute video provides incredible testimonies of those living in Cape Town's informal settlements, as well as the police and community activists involved in these slums. This is my favorite resource because it ditches the romanticized ideas of South Africa and the Cape and instead covers the real life dangers, challenges, experiences, and daily life conditions of those uprooted because of apartheid. The video focuses on how Coloureds' and Blacks' communities have changed and how they are coping and what they are doing to change things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoMl_G6rL9k
6) Realizing Women's Rights in South Africa: Dr. Tunney explains the four main factors that keep South African women marginalized. These factors are "the unwillingness of men to adapt to changing gender roles, the perceived incompatibility between cultural preservation and human rights, poor urban planning coupled with the economic vulnerability of women, and the police and courts’ inadequate implementation of legislation." This article provided fantastic insight into the problems women, and specifically black women, face in reaching equality post-apartheid.
http://www.fletcherforum.org/2013/06/10/tunney/
7) Here's how South African students talk about race and gender This article gives the reader different perspectives about how South Africans, at our age, view current race and gender relations in South Africa. What I learned most from this article was how much race and gender are both emphasized in South Africa. Obviously race is in the microscope only twenty years out of apartheid, but the idea of women, colored or not, also being considered a marginalized group in South Africa adds another layer of complexity to the reality of South Africa.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-01-16/heres-how-south-african-students-talk-about-race-and-gender
8) ‘Winnie’ fails to capture the essence of Mrs. Mandela Here the other side of Winnie Mandela, the wife of Nelson Mandela, is explained. In both "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" and "Winnie" Winnie is given a shallow, militarized role. I enjoyed this article because it offers biographical information about Winnie Mandela, while also accurately capturing the complexity of her role in the anti-apartheid movement.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/09/05/winnie-mandela/2711759/
9) Bucket list to visiting South Africa Larry Olmsted praises South Africa as a top travel destination and outlines the "can't miss" sights within the country. These experiences include a safari, Cape Town, Table Mountain, Cape Peninsula (penguins!), and the Cape of Good Hope - located at "the end of the Earth." He mentions South Africa's wine country... which I can't deny that I'm interested in seeing. He provides a lengthy list of outdoor activities, wildlife (Great White Sharks!), and apartheid related museums. I feel really lucky and excited, knowing that I will be in Cape Town in a few weeks! (Thankful!)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2013/03/18/ultimate-bucket-list-trip-south-africa/
10) Culture in South Africa This Wikipedia article outlines the culture in South Africa and provides clarity to many things that I have not been able to grasp. Diversity is the reoccurring theme I have noticed so far in studying South Africa. There is so much going on! The diversity of people, languages, ancestries, lifestyles, and cultures has all turned into a melting pot in my mind. Therefore, this Wikipedia entry clearly outlines South African arts, music, sports, education, gender roles, and the LGBT community. On top of all the academic sources, this article pieces everything together for me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_South_Africa
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Week 8: Top 10 Resources for Understanding the South African Context
The following is a list of different articles, videos and graphics I have compiled from my study abroad colleagues.This consolidated list dives into the history, current situation and different perspectives within South Africa.
1) Rachel Maddow talks about the history of apartheid in South Africa In this youtube video Rachel Maddow outlines the history of apartheid. She explains the passbook system, the Sharpeville massacre, the militarization of the African National Congress (ANC), and Nelson Mandela's role in the movement and his election to presidency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqCKIUogn6E&feature=youtu.be
2) Factbox: South Africa since apartheid This link compares facts about the housing, water, wealth, race, and unemployment in South Africa. The data shows the effects of apartheid and the changes South Africa has experienced under the last 18 years of ANC governance.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-24/news/sns-rt-us-safrica-anc-factbre85n067-20120624_1_blacks-south-africans-african-national-congress
3) South Africa's Ticking Time Bomb This article highlights the pressing threats to South Africa's future. The nation's high rates of inequality, poverty, unemployment, and political frustration reveal the long-term effects of apartheid and the remaining economic, social, and political issues to be resolved.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2014/07/02/south-africas-major-problems-youth-unemployment-and-economic-inequality
4) Apartheid Timeline PBS provides a chronological graphic of significant historical events and apartheid legislation in South Africa. I found this link helpful because it shows both sides of the movement by dividing the timeline between events that strengthened or weakened apartheid.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/endgame/timeline.html#
5) Power and Privilege Definitions This document is an amazing source that clearly defines terms from privilege and gender to institutional power and agents or targets of oppression. These objective definitions provide a strong background for understanding injustices throughout history.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amsa.org%2FAMSA%2FLibraries%2FCommittee_Docs%2FPower_Privilege_Definitions.sflb.ashx&ei=Gs34VK_WK5L4yQTElIDgDg&usg=AFQjCNF0hKvK_MzO4IebtQwaX3Oe6f1Yzw&sig2=ppEWSi2IGwDBhP-CrmIScw
6) Why is Crime and Violence so high in South Africa? This link details the magnitude of violence in South Africa and how it affects different social groups. The information it provides as to why laws are not respected and the persistence of crime was particularly useful in understanding the struggles of South Africa.
http://www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/Why-is-crime-and-violence-so-high-in-South-Africa-20140918
7) Realizing Women's Human Rights in South Africa Dr. Tunney explains the four main factors that keep South African women marginalized. These factors are "the unwillingness of men to adapt to changing gender roles, the perceived incompatibility between cultural preservation and human rights, poor urban planning coupled with the economic vulnerability of women, and the police and courts’ inadequate implementation of legislation." This article provided fantastic insight into the problems women, and specifically black women, face in reaching equality post-apartheid.
http://www.fletcherforum.org/2013/06/10/tunney/
8) The Backlash Against African Women In relation to the link above this, this article shows the violence and repercussions African women experience along the road to empowerment. As women progress politically and through education, the conservative backlash and terrible assaults attempt to keep these women inferior and powerless.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/opinion/sunday/the-backlash-against-african-women.html?_r=0
9) Say it Loud, I'm Coloured and I'm Proud I have been struggling to understand what Coloured means in South Africa and this article provided information that helped me understand what Coloured is and Coloureds' general perspective in the nation and place in the apartheid movement.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/world/2013/10/south_africas_coloreds_identify_most_with_blacks_in_the_us.html
10) US Anti-Apartheid Movement Helped Bring Change to South Africa I included this video in my top 10 because it shows the role global public opinion and international relations played in bringing about the end of apartheid. It gives a historical link between the United States and South Africa and the power of Americans' solidarity versus apartheid.
http://www.voanews.com/content/us-anti-apartheid-movement-helps-bring-change-to-south-africa/1900704.html
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